In our September 16 post, we shared the news that Motorola just released the MC9500, an industrial-class addition to the best-selling Motorola MC9000 series.

Now we have just learned the carrier certification dates:

• AT&T: September 21
• Sprint: September 21
• Verizon: September 23

Once a chipset is certified by the FCC and the PTCRB (PCS Type Certification Review Board), T-Mobile does not require further certification to run on their network.

Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. to learn more about the state-of-the art Motorola MC9500 Enterprise Digital Assistant (EDA) .

The MCAA/NTLA Executive Roundtable Series 2009 will be held at the Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa in Scottsdale September 29 – October 1.

The Messenger Courier Association of America (MCAA) is an association for the messenger courier industry while the National Transportation & Logistics Association (NTLA) is comprised of last mile couriers, shippers and suppliers along the supply chain.

The conference is designed to aid those in the courier and expedited delivery industries by addressing industry trends, tougher government regulations and compliance changes as well as sales and marketing strategies designed to increase business.

If you’re attending the conference, be sure to look for DecisionPoint.  You can find us at Booth 23. 

Let’s get mobile! Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. to learn more about our courier and expedited delivery mobile solutions.

In yesterday’s post, we shared the news of Motorola’s announcement of the MC9500, an industrial-class addition to the best-selling Motorola MC9000 series.  In today’s post, you can learn more about the state-of-the art design of the MC9500 in the below video.

Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. to learn more about the Motorola MC9500 Enterprise Digital Assistant—the next step in the evolution of mobile computing.

Yesterday Motorola announced the release of the MC9500, an industrial-class addition to the best-selling Motorola MC9000 series.  The MC9500 should appeal to businesses engaged in package delivery, field service, and transportation & logistics industries. The MC9500–with its state-of-the art design–is the next step in the evolution of mobile computing.  It is the first mobile computer based on Motorola’s Mobility Platform Architecture 2.0 and runs Windows Mobile 6.1.

Key features of the MC9500 include:

• Supports 3.5G wireless for faster connections over GSM HSDPA and CDMA-EVDO Rev. A networks.
• Max FlexWAN is a customer-swappable WAN feature that enables a business to deploy the MC9500 and then choose the carrier and 3.5G network for best coverage in different geographies. 
• IST (Interactive Sensor Technology) uses motion-sensing capabilities to support motion-sensing applications and improve power management by automatically placing the unit in sleep mode when it placed face down.
• Large 3.7-in. color touch display.
• Choice of 5 interchangeable keypad configurations.
• 3-megapixel auto-focus camera that can be used as a scanner or image-capturing device for decoding both 1D and 2D bar codes and capturing high-resolution photographs, video footage and documents. 
• Enterprise-class GPS functionality.
• 802.11a/b/g support.
• Accelerometer that switches the screen capture between portrait and landscape modes based on the orientation of the device.
• The lithium battery provides eight hours of talk time and 150 hours of standby time and Motorola MAX Battery management technology provides information indicators on the battery that allow backroom managers and users to see the charge level as well as battery health to ensure maximum up-time.
• Universal accessory system to organize space for charging cradles, power packs and cables.

Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. to learn more about the state-of-the art Motorola MC9500 Enterprise Digital Assistant (EDA) .

Our September 10 post  focused on the total cost of ownership (TCO) of mobile devices.  The post explained that ruggedized devices are often more expensive due in part to extensive testing.  Venture Development Corporation’s (VDC) estimates testing device ruggedness to be as much as $100,000.00 per design.  It’s unlikely such testing is conducted for commercial products that are not required nor expected to support claims of ruggedness. 

So what kind of testing is done?  The following is a summary of the tests used to determine the ruggedness of handheld devices.
 
Drop Rating:
The drop rating is a measure of a devices ability to survive repeated falls from a specified height.  In rugged device testing, the surface is concrete while the height can vary.  Naturally, the higher the survivable drop height, the more rugged the device.  A drop height of 4-5 feet to concrete is considered a reasonable test of ruggedness.

IP Rating:
An Ingress Protection Rating (IP rating) is a standard used to identify to what degree a device can withstand exposure to solid particles and liquid ingress.  Typically, an IP rating is expressed in 2 numbers – such as IP65.  The first number indicates the protection against solid objects or dust with a maximum rating of “6”.  A “6” indicates that the device is impervious to any ingress of dust.  The second number indicates the protection against liquids, where the maximum rating is “8”.  An “8” would indicate that the device can withstand continuous immersion in water.  A device with a high IP rating would be an important consideration for use in outdoor applications.

The required IP rating will vary by application, however, commercial device manufacturers rarely specify an IP rating.  Again, commercial devices are not designed with excessive dust and liquid exposure considerations. 

Operating Temperature:
Commercial terminals are typically designed to operate in a “normal” environment where the temperature is fairly constant such as an office.  Using a terminal outside of its specified operating temperature range may lead to premature failure.  Industrial terminals are designed to work over wide temperature ranges that often include conditions well below freezing.  This is an important variable to consider if the terminal will be used outdoors.

 Let’s get mobile! Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. to learn more about ruggedized mobile device best meets your requirements and budget.

One of Grandma Nardi’s favorite sayings was “Penny wise, pound foolish.” It comes to mind because today we’re going to take a look at Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

With any major purchase decision, enterprises perform a cost benefit analysis.  Unfortunately, many  make the mistake of not looking beyond the purchase price of a mobile device.  It’s essential to also consider costs over the expected life of the device. 

Since budgets are key considerations in the decision-making process, price is a major concern.  Higher priced hardware may present purchase barriers.  However, price, in relation to cost, is a one-time expenditure whereas costs are ongoing and can affect the business over time.

It’s true that the initial cost of a rugged enterprise digital assistant (EDA) is often higher than a commercial non-rugged unit.  This is due to more complex engineering, extended testing, higher sales costs and low production volumes.  However, studies show that rugged devices have a dramatically lower total cost of ownership over a 5 year period.  It’s like the old TV commercial about auto maintenance where the mechanic says “You can pay me now…or pay me later.”

This finding is backed up by Venture Development Corporation’s (VDC) findings in their Total Cost of Ownership models that surveyed a broad range of actual deployments.  VDC reports total cost of ownership annual savings of up to 17% in Field Profession applications and up to 32% in Supply Chain applications for rugged hardware deployments.  So even though the purchase price of a rugged device may be higher than a commercial device, it is usually money well spent in the long run.

Commercial devices are designed for use in a non-rugged office environment where rugged features are not important considerations for consumers. If commercial devices are deployed outside of their intended application, the lack of rugged features can seriously shorten their lifespan, adding to the total cost of ownership.

 Let’s get mobile! Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. to learn more about total cost of ownership considerations and which mobile device best meets your requirements and budget.

Southeastern Container is a co-op manufacturing 70% of the U.S. bottle production for Coca-Cola.  DecisionPoint provided Southeaster Container with a plug-and-play EPC Gen 2 RFID system which was tested at its injection-molding facility in Enka, N.C.  The RFID solution is used to track reusable bins used to transport preformed plastic tubes (or preforms) produced at its injection-molding facilities to its blow-molding facilities, where the preforms are then blown into soda bottles.  Southeastern Container is now expanding the RFID solution to two other facilities. Eventually, the company will track up to 40,000 bins.

Southeastern Container decided to deploy RFID after replacing their cardboard containers with reusable plastic bins. The plastic bins offer a number of benefits, but are more costly that the cardboard containers so it’s important for Southeastern Container to confirm the plastic containers last as long as the manufacturer guaranteed.  Southeastern Container uses RFID to count the number of cycles each bin is used to ship loads.

The company affixed a permanent EPC Gen 2 M-Tag to the side of the plastic bins after the bin’s surface is heated using a blowtorch.  Depending on its size, a single bin can hold up to 20,000 preforms. When a tagged bin is packed with preforms, a worker applies a bar-code label to identify the type of preforms contained within. The bin is then moved through an RFID portal containing a Motorola XR440 industrial-class fixed RFID interrogator and an AN400 RFID antenna. As the portal reads the unique ID number from the bin’s RFID tag, an employee utilizes a Motorola MC9090-G mobile computer to scan the bar-code label. Asset tracking software then correlates the bin tag’s ID number with the products as identified by the bar code.  This data is then passed to Southeastern Container’s ERP system.

The bin is then transported to a warehouse and, from there, on to the blow-molding facility. When the bin is emptied, an employee scans the bar code, deleting the record in Southeastern Container’s ERP system.

Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. to learn more about the various RFID solutions and whether this techynology can benefit your company.

Many types of businesses rely on field service teams.  When field services operate at less than maximum effectiveness, many areas of the business are impacted–including customer satisfaction, service and retention levels as well as overall profitability.   Provide faster response times, increase the number of service calls, reduce travel costs and eliminate paperwork with mobile field services solutions.

Field service technicians need information in the field to efficiently and properly complete the job. Incomplete information results in longer service times and possibly a second service visit.  This means higher cost, longer customer downtime and lower customer satisfaction.

With mobility, technicians have real-time access to business systems and automated data capture capabilities such as bar code scanning and signature and image capture. 

Mobility can eliminate the challenges facing field service organizations including:

• On-site access to repair procedures, maintenance manuals and customer service history
• Dynamic scheduling that allows the identification and dispatch of the nearest qualified technician
• Eliminate manual data entry with automated forms and bar code scanning to enable the same workforce to handle more calls per day
• Accurate capture of and billing for all actual charges
• Signature capture and transmission of billing information minimize disputes and reduce the billing cycle from weeks to days
• Ensure the required tools and parts are available before dispatch

Let’s get mobile!  Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. to learn more about the various mobile solutions which can help your company increase productivity, improve customer service and reduce expenses.

Motorola AirDefense Personal is an AirDefense add-on that integrates with AirDefense Enterprise and provides uninterrupted protection for mobile workers and their wireless assets when outside the protection of AirDefense sensors.  AirDefense Personal monitors for malicious wireless activities and enforces wireless policy and threats including risky configuration, insecure communication, suspicious WLAN settings and risky WLAN connectivity.  

AirDefense Personal enforces corporate polices for all types of wireless networks, including Wi-Fi, EVDO, 3G, GPRS and many more. Motorola AirDefense Personal protects the mobile workforce from the wireless-specific risks that could expose private data and confidential transactions. Mobile workers are protected from risks that directly target vulnerable wireless users.  AirDefense Personal notifies the user when risky activity occurs or mitigate the risk entirely by proactively disabling the wireless connection.

Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. to learn more about AirDefense Personal and how it can improve your network security for your mobile workers.

Motorola AirDefense Enterprise is the most powerful Wireless Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) available.  AirDefense Enterprise solution provides complete protection against wireless threats, policy compliance monitoring, robust performance monitoring and troubleshooting and location tracking in a solution that scales to support single offices as well as organizations with hundreds of locations around the globe.. The solution provides comprehensive protection and operational support for all 802.11n networks as well.

AirDefense Enterprise accurately detects and protects the network against all wireless threats and unauthorized devices by stopping the targeted rogue device before it can damage the network. AirDefense complements wireless VPNs, encryption and authentication. The system automatically responds to threats according to appropriate business process and compliance requirements on both wireless and wired networks.

Location tracking technology enable administrators to accurately locate devices in minimal time.

Add-On Modules include:

• Advanced Troubleshooting – identifies wireless network configuration issues
• WEP Cloaking – wireless infrastructure protection secured by legacy encryption protocols
• Advanced Forensics – wireless activity and trend analysis
• Spectrum Analysis – identify/classify non-802.11 interference
• Centralized Management Console (CMC) – manager appliance settings 
• LiveRF – wireless network performance
  

Contact DecisionPoint Systems, Inc. to learn more about AirDefense Enterprise and how it can improve your network security.